"How can I feel guilty, why should I be ashamed? Is this some kind of extremist activity? On the contrary, for me it is a great honor," said Vitaliy Syrykh about his religious activity in his final statement.
Transcript:
Your Honor, thank you for spending so much time on this case and for allowing me to make a final statement.
I would like to recall a bit of history. In 2009, when he was still prime minister, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin visited the city of Novokuznetsk, where I lived at the time. Together with his colleagues, he inspected the Polosukhinskaya coal mine, was in the canteen, spoke with the workers [...]
The news showed how he professed his religious views. This was shown on television. He was not ashamed to express his religious beliefs and feelings [...]
...About 2,000 years ago, other political figures, such as Pontius Pilate and the religious leader Joseph Caiaphas in the days of Jesus Christ, showed flagrant disrespect and flagrant injustice toward Jesus. They arrested Jesus Christ and crucified him.
Jesus Christ was resurrected by his heavenly Father on the third day. According to the Bible, his name is Jehovah. Jesus was resurrected and gave his disciples an interesting commission, or work, or assignment. I have a Bible — an Orthodox edition, published with the blessing of the patriarch — it is an authoritative, respected book. Here are the words of Jesus: "All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you." Jesus says: "Go and teach not only in our country, but on a worldwide scale."
So, Your Honor, the respected prosecutor said that I partially admitted my guilt. But what is my guilt? The Bible says: go and tell people what Jesus commanded. That is why I shared my religious views. I just wanted to do what would please Jesus, to carry out his commission, to pass knowledge on to other people. This is in harmony with the Constitution, I have the right to share my religious knowledge related to Jesus Christ and his heavenly Father. And how …